


drawing by the pond

by kkamagwi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Art School, Drawing, Exploration, Fluff and Humor, Letters, M/M, Moving Out, Summer, confident hyuck, mark is a flustered mess, socially awkward mark, they live on a made-up island
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 19:37:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18350333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkamagwi/pseuds/kkamagwi
Summary: mark just needed some inspirations. he just needed something, or someone, to bring his creativity back.





	1. piece of paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark moves to a new place to live his new life but is welcomed by an enormous art block...

          Mark Lee set down his last box of furniture — a huge cardboard box with “handle with care” written in red capital letters on it — before letting himself fall on his ridiculously tiny couch.

Finally, there he was, in his own place, starting his own life, getting his own independence.

High school had felt like torture to him — especially since he had been held back a year after moving from Canada to South Korea — but now that he had finally graduated, he could take a new start. Take one more step towards living his dream life. He had already managed to get into his dream school : an art school he has dreamt to attend since he was a kid — art had actually been the only thing keeping him sane while he was in high school — and which also happened to be based in his dream city, a small nice city on an island he’d never stepped foot onto, but he’d heard so much nice things about. In addition to that, despite his parents’ reluctance, he’d manage to convince them of letting him move out.And there he was, slouched on his tiny couch, in his tiny apartment, catching a glimpse of the sea through the huge window he was facing. The sun was still high up in the sky and the heat on his sore body — from carrying big boxes alone — felt really relaxing. Mark didn’t like summer in his hometown, it was too hot and the flowers were not blooming anymore, everything was just dried and burnt up. Here however, he was already loving it. He got up, opened the window and leaned on its ledge, letting his black hair move along with the wind. Mark’s apartment was just next to the port, on the northern end of the island. He’d always dreamt of that view, seeing the boats departing to new horizons and people happily waiting by the shore for their loved ones to arrive. The island was filled with luxuriant vegetation, huge floral and fruity trees casting enough shadow for the future art student to feel like going out, and bathing the place in a fruity fragrance. A light breeze made the trees dance in harmony with the music of the waves and the sound of the wind whistling through the branches.

Mark felt like he was watching a graceful ballet of leaves and petals.

He usually hated the city — it was too noisy and crowded and polluted — but this new environment already felt like home. He couldn’t help but smile. He’d been wanting this for so long, and now he had the whole summer to wander around in his new piece of paradise.

          Mark’s first night there had been amazing. He had slept with his window opened, the melody of water soothing him. But the euphoria didn’t last so long.

The next day Mark was sitting in front of his blank, white as snow, sketchbook page, incapable of drawing anything. His mind was just as blank as the thick sheet of paper. Nothing. His usually endless inspiration was gone. Mark lightly hit his head against his desk, letting out a frustrated grunt.

"Empty!"

He hit his head again.

"Useless!"

And again.

"Head!"

This time he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead and grunting louder. Mark felt terrible for the next week or two. He felt as if all shapes or forms of creativity has been drained out of his body, taking his motivation and optimism at the same time. He’d been into art for a very long time and, therefore, he’d been through art blocks before. But it had never been that bad. He couldn’t get himself to sketch anything. He just felt empty and dry.

As hopeless as he felt, Mark couldn’t give up yet, especially not if he was going to study art two months later.

 

          After almost two weeks of vegetating in his bed, the future art student decided it was time to act, he needed to find a solution. Mark still had a whole island to explore and it seemed like the best — and maybe the only — way for him to be inspired. He got into his best pair of sneakers and put his favorite snapback on and went out without planning anything, sketchbook and pencil in hand. He walked a lot that day. The island was beautiful, but he still couldn’t draw anything. He walked passed so many pretty monuments, and so many fantastic looking landscapes yet none of them made him feel like he’d be able to draw again.

"What’s going on with me?" he let out as he leaned his whole body on a fence at the highest point of the city. There stood a little castle made of stone — Mark didn’t know how long it had been here, but it surprisingly almost looked new — on a little hill, overlooking the city. From there he could see the whole island, even the places he hadn’t even noticed when he was wandering around.

That’s when he saw the park for the first time. Down there, in the distance, was a big park full of colors. Like a rainbow painted on the grass and the trees. It looked so bright and appealing Mark didn’t know how he hadn’t noticed it earlier. On one side of the park stood a huge tree, so big it was hiding almost half of the park. Something caught Mark’s eye, in a corner. He hadn’t looked at that side yet, it was rather unoccupied compared to the rest of the park which seemed to be successful towards families and groups of friends wanting to play outside. There was no one — or almost no one — in that other corner. The sun rays were reflecting on what seemed to be a small pool of water, dazzling him, but making him want to come closer. He didn’t know what about that place attracted him, but it did. The future art student skipped down the hill expectantly. What was it that was pulling him to that park? And, whatever it was, was it going to bring is creativity back?

  
           The park was actually in the only part of the city he hasn’t visited yet, which explained how he could’ve missed it. That side was a bit far from the usual activity of the island, not many people lived there. Actually, Mark had only walked passed a few houses as he walked there. He had only crossed paths with a group of kids joking around, a couple of teenagers who seemed to be newly dating and a whole family eating out at a small restaurant terrace. This place was so restful. In the distance Mark noticed the huge tree from the park. He took a deep breath — appreciating the unpolluted air he’d been missing in his hometown — and headed to the park.

He gasped as soon as he got there. The place looked marvelous. It looked as if it came from another world. The huge tree — what Mark was guessing to be an oak — casted shadow on more than one half of the park, only letting a few luminous beams poke through the leaves.

A bit further away, behind a few flowery bushes, he could make out the sparkling of the water under the sun, and he walked there excitingly, wanting to see it up close. Mark felt like he was standing in front of a pond filled with diamonds. The pond wasn’t big, but a little bridge crossed it anyways. Only after walking closer he noticed a red-haired boy sitting on the bridge, his back facing Mark, his feet dipping in the water. Even though he couldn’t see the boy’s face, the future art student could tell how relaxed he was. He somehow gave off an appealing feeling, yet Mark felt almost scared of going closer. He didn’t want to interrupt the boy’s peace, so he just walked to an old-looking wooden bench a bit further away, facing the pond. He sat there and, for the first time, he saw the red-haired boy’s face.

  
           Mark stopped breathing for a second. He’d never seen anyone this beautiful.

The boy’s blazing hair was gently moving along with the breeze, leaving his whole face for Mark to see. His eyes were closed and he looked more at peace than the artist had ever been. His head was slightly tilted back and the sunlight was embracing his golden skin, starry with beauty marks. He had a small, pretty nose and a relaxed smile was making his face even brighter. He looked angelic yet a mysterious aura emanated from him.

An urge took over Mark. He was engulfed in an artistic wave. He had to draw that boy. His eyes were closed, he wouldn’t notice, right? Mark whipped out his sketchbook and his favorite pencil, and immediately started sketching the red-haired angel. How come this boy had managed to bring back his creativity when nothing else could for almost two weeks? Mark decided to not ask himself too many questions. He just let his hand wander on the thick drawing paper to try to capture and replicate this boy’s astonishing aura. And, for the first time in two weeks, he was really liking his art.

  
           Mark was almost done sketching when he saw the other boy getting his feet out of the water. Had he seen him? Was he creeped out? To the black-haired boy’s relief, it didn’t look like it. The other boy just put his shows back on, his head tilted down and his bangs hiding his eyes, got up — which made Mark look down as he was too scared he’d see him — and left, too fast for Mark to see his eyes. The artist just sat there for a moment, staring at his sketch, not really understanding what had just happened. He started wondering whether he’d ever see this boy again. Maybe he should have talked to him. But what would he have said? He wasn’t the best at making conversation with strangers but he already wanted to see him again. That boy wasn’t just incredibly good-looking, he had something more. A little something that had immediately attracted Mark. Something that had unleashed his creativity. And he wanted to see more of it. 

 

          That night, Mark couldn’t sleep, but he could draw. He wasn’t usually good at drawing from memory, but the red-haired boy’s face was like tattooed in his eyelids. The only part of his face he hadn’t seen was his eyes. Mark tried to imagine how his gaze would look but it never felt right.

He realized he wanted the boy to look at him. He wanted to hear his voice. He wanted to know what his personality was like. But for that he needed to see him again. And even if he did, would he really want to be noticed? He knew himself, he’d get too nervous to approach the boy and would just look from the distance — as creepy as it was — and draw.

For a few days he did wonder whether he should actually go back or not. He could only think of that red-haired boy. After four days of drawing nothing but him sitting on the small wooden bridge, he decided to go there again. His angel with a fire halo probably wouldn’t be there but he had to give it a shot. And this time, he wanted to draw the park too, to know if his creativity had only come back to draw the boy or if his presence had dissolved his art block as a whole.

Either way, there was something magical about him. During his few days of thinking, Mark kept feeling like all of it had been real. It didn’t feel real, none of it. It felt like a dream.


	2. piece of advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark hopes to see the boy again, but is too scared to try and approach him, what should he do ?

          The weather was as nice as the first time when Mark decided to go back to the park. He loved the sea wind, it was keeping him from being too hot and he loved feeling the refreshing breeze flow through his black locks. He didn’t really realize it, but — although a part of him knew the chances of the boy being there were very low — he walked really fast on his way there. He took the time to breathe as he entered the park, the smell of flowers and fruits was amazing, he was bathing in it. He was walking way slower now. He naively told himself it was to take time and enjoy the fruity and flowery fragrance, but in reality, he was just scared he wouldn’t see the boy again. He slowly walked to the other side of the park, he could already see the pond behind the bushes but he couldn’t make out the boy’s figure yet. Mark walked slower and slower.

He wasn’t going to be there, waiting for the artist to come and draw him, was he? How unrealistic was that? Mark wondered. He wasn’t even that surprised when he didn’t see the red-haired boy sitting on the bridge, just disappointed, and a bit mad at himself for being that naive. He sighed loudly. “What was I expecting?” he asked himself out loud. He decided to still go for a stroll in the park, sketching a few trees and flowers. He was at least relieved to see he could draw things that weren’t the red-haired angel, but he couldn’t get himself to like these sketches as much as his drawings of the boy. He went home a bit sad that day, but he decided he’d keep going to the park, because despite the red-haired boy not being there, it was still his favorite place on the island so far, though he knew it could change once he’d start attending his dream school.

          He kept coming every day for almost a week, not even hoping to see the flaming angel anymore. Therefore, imagine Mark’s surprise when, on a sunny Saturday, as he entered the park, he saw, in the distance, a boy with strawberry red hair.

He was breathless for a second. Was he daydreaming? Definitely not.

Mark slowly walked passed the bushes separating the pond from the rest of the park, heading to the bench he usually sat on, a rush of excitement making him smile uncontrollably. This time the boy wasn’t sitting on the bridge with his feet in the water, but cross-legged on the grass next to the pond, his head resting on his hand and a thick book opened on his legs. From where Mark was sitting, he couldn’t see his face well, it was hidden by his hand and his hair, but he could kind of make out his body proportion — which he hadn’t paid much attention to the first time because of how mesmerized he was with his face — and study his posture.

The first thing he noticed was how long the angelic boy’s legs looked. Mark wanted to see him stand, walk. He looked thin but muscular, he must have been the sporty kind. Deep inside Mark was hoping he was a dancer. He’d always loved dancing, he’d always enjoyed it, and he loved dancers, there was something beautiful about them. He felt excited at the idea of the red-haired boy dancing, so he drew it. He had to imagine how his body would look. How his long legs would stretch to execute the moves. How his waist would curl with suppleness.

That day, Mark stayed at the park longer than he usually would and the sun was starting to set when he saw the boy leave. He got up lightly, all his movements were subtle, and Mark felt like the other boy’s body wasn’t a victim of gravity. He was like a cat, and the dark-haired boy couldn’t get his eyes off his feline figure. The boy had turned around too fast for Mark to see his eyes. Was he doing it on purpose? It almost seemed like it. But at least he could appreciate the red-haired angel’s legs and thin waist. He stretched, his graceful hands looking as if they were trying to catch the few stars that had started to appear, and his white shirt rising slightly, just enough for his honey-like skin to peek through. Mark was right about how long and muscular his legs were. He felt mesmerized. Everything about that boy looked beautiful, from what he looked like to his appealing aura. Everything about him felt magical, almost.

 

          Mark went home happy that night, once again. And this time, he also had hope he’d see the boy again. He already loved his new home and the fact that an angel with strawberry hair lived on his heavenly island made it even better. Mark wanted to make the most of his summer — before he would have to think about school — and he was hoping at some point he’d find the bravery to talk to the boy. He really wanted to know who he was, behind his angelic appearance. He wanted to know if his personality was as bright as his flaming hair and golden skin, and as mesmerizing as his relaxed face. But Mark — as outgoing as he could seem once he was comfortable with someone — was very shy and awkward with strangers, especially when they were that incredibly good-looking.

          The only person Mark was completely comfortable with was his older brother, Taeyong. They actually weren’t born from the same mother, but that had never influenced how close they were, they were brothers no matter whose blood ran through their veins. Taeyong was the only one who knew absolutely everything about Mark. The only one who’s only presence could make him feel good.

Mark had good friends back in the city, but he’d never felt close enough to them to be completely himself. And because they were this close — and even dependent of each other sometimes — the two brothers had made an agreement before Mark moved out: since one of his goals was to be finally independent, he should only call or text Taeyong in case of emergencies. In other cases, they’d communicate through letters. That way Mark couldn’t always depend on Taeyong’s words and voice to reassure himself. Mark was thinking maybe it was time to send his older brother his first letter. He had a lot to tell him and he needed his advice more than ever. Therefore, the same night, when the red-haired boy’s image was still clear and distinct, he decided to write to his brother.

          He spent most of his evening writing his letter. For once he wasn’t drawing the angel with his pencil, but with his words. Mark didn’t usually find himself great with words, but this time they just spilled out on the paper more easily that they had ever did. He talked about everything that had happened since he moved out. From his art block, to his exploration of the island, to the beautiful boy who had brought his inspiration back. He wrote about how he felt a rush of creativity flow through his body the first time he saw the red-haired boy. How everything about him was beautiful. How his skin was golden under the sunlight and how his long and muscular legs made him want to dance with the boy. How he had never seen his eyes and couldn’t imagine exactly what they’d look like and how scared but excited he was of someday looking him in the eye.

He also asked Taeyong for advice. For what he’d do if he was in the same situation. For what he thought of Mark’s feelings for this boy he’d never even talked to. Taeyong was also of the awkward kind, but he wasn’t as shy and confused about human relationships as Mark was. And the younger boy was lost and needed answers. But what he wanted the most what to know who this boy really was.

          After that he kept going back to the park. Sometimes he’d see the boy and sometimes he wouldn’t. When the boy wasn’t there he’d wander around the park and draw the parts he liked the most. The was a small bench under the old magnificent oak — Mark had looked it up and the tree had been there for almost a hundred years — and it was probably the most peaceful place in the park after the pond. He’d draw it from different points of view, and he’d sat on it to draw the rest of the park.

However, when the other boy was there, he’d sit on his usual bench and draw him and the pond. Some days he would sit on the bridge with his feet in the water, his head tilted back like the first day Mark had seen him. Some other days he would sit on the grass next to the pond, or he’d even lay there. Sometimes he’d have his earphones on — making the black-haired boy wonder what kind of music he listened to — and he’d close his eyes and let his fingers tap the rhythm on his legs. Sometimes he was reading a book, his head resting on his hand and his face hidden behind the bright red curtain of his hair. Either way, Mark never got to see his eyes, even though he was craving to.

He never felt like the boy noticed him, he was hoping he didn’t, because if he did, he’d find him creepy, wouldn’t he? Mark didn’t want that.

          About a week later, Mark got Taeyong’s answer. For some reason he felt a bit nervous about opening it, he didn’t really know what Taeyong would think about him drawing a complete stranger. He sat on his window ledge — it was wide enough for him to sit there to draw or to read sometimes — and slowly unfolded the letter.

Taeyong started by saying he missed him, and a smile spread across Mark’s face. He missed his brother too, a lot actually, but he still didn’t regret coming to his piece of paradise. He couldn’t wait for Taeyong to come visit him and his island, and in his letter he was promising he’d come soon. The oldest brother actually wanted to study there too when he was younger, but it had never turned out the way it did for Mark and he’d ended up staying in their hometown. Taeyong smoothly transitioned from talking about the island to talking about the red-haired boy. He said that as creepy as it was it was also kind of cute. As shy as Mark could be, he was encouraging him to talk to the boy. Taeyong had always been a little better at socializing, so he had always been there when his younger brother needed help to approach someone. He was telling Mark to try and talk to the boy if he felt like it was the right moment, but not to rush himself. He also reminded him not to be too intrusive, making the red-haired boy uncomfortable was not his goal, especially if he wanted to get to know him someday. Mark really did want to try and go up to the boy — even though he didn’t know what he’d say to him — but he didn’t know if he’d ever find the courage to do it. He was hoping he would, but he was too impressed by the boy to dare approach him.

No one had made him feel that way, especially not someone he’d never talked to. How could the red-haired angel have that much power on Mark just by sitting there? What was it about him that made Mark that weak?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello reader! i hope you liked this second chapter! next part will be up soon, but it won't be chapter three yet...


	3. letter 1: mark to taeyong

          Hey hyung,

after being here for almost a month I feel like today is the right day to send my first letter.

           It's been weird, to be so... alone. But it's also been amazing. The island is so much better than anything I could've imagined. Everything here feels so relaxing. I feel like I was meant to live here. The apartment is pretty small but since it's just me I don't really mind. I see the port from my window and at night I leave it open to listen to the water.

           Things didn't start off amazing. For the first two weeks or so, I couldn't draw anything. It wasn't like the other art blocks I'd gone through, I just felt... shitty. Nothing inspired me. The only solution I could think off was going around the island and hope to find something inspirational. I saw some really amazing things that day. I don't know if you knew but there's little stone castle on a hill pretty much in the middle of the island, from there you get an overview of the city, and that's how I discovered a nice park that became my favorite place. I thought I might find some inspiration there and I actually did.

           Now to the part of this letter where you think I'm a weirdo...

           There is a smaller space that's separated from the rest of the park by some cute bushes (they have purple flowers and they smell amazing). Behind these bushes, there are a few benches and a small pond crossed by a wooden bridge. On that day, when I walked closer, I saw my new source of inspiration.

           It's a boy.

           He's beautiful.

           I think he's about my age. He has red hair and beautiful honey skin. He has an attractive aura. He just gives off something intimidating but appealing, and I immediately felt like drawing him. I've seen him twice so far, and for some reason I just feel attracted to him. I really want to talk to him, to know who he is beyond his appearance... But you know me. I'm way too shy for that. Just the idea of walking up to him and talking to him scares the shit out of me, what am I supposed to do? Hyung, I need your help on this. Do I just keep staring from afar like a total creep or do I try to talk to him? I don't even know if I can do it. Knowing myself I'd probably walk away after taking just a step towards him... If you have any ideas, it would be really useful.

           And please, come visit me soon! I can't wait for you to see the island!

           From your brother who misses you,

                                                       Mark.


	4. guilty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally, Mark's first day at his dream school has come...

          Mark only had around two weeks left of holidays. As he needed to prepare to enter the island’s art school, he didn’t have that much time to wander around anymore and — as excited as he was — he was realizing he probably wouldn’t see the red-haired boy as often anymore, which meant he didn’t have much more opportunities to try and talk to him. He kept going back to the park, but he didn’t see the boy as often. The rest of the summer went by way too fast, and opportunities flew away like petals on a windy day. He saw the boy a few more times but he never felt bold enough to approach him. He had thought that maybe after seeing him so much he would’ve gotten less intimidated, but it had ended up being the other way around. Despite that, Mark still felt tempted to get closer, as if a poisonous but delicious-looking fruit stood in front of him: it was scary but beautiful.

Mark often found himself trying to guess what the red-haired boy personality was like. He didn’t look mean at all, he actually looked very nice and funny, that wasn’t what Mark found intimidating. It was rather how incredibly confident he looked, just sitting there. Not in a bad way. In an attractive way. The Canadian boy was flustered just thinking about it, how was he even supposed to ever talk to him? As much as he wanted to get to know the boy, he just felt unreachable for someone as socially awkward and easily embarrassed as Mark Lee. He’d make a fool out of himself, he knew it, and it was discouraging.

          He only saw the red-haired angel once in the last week of school break. The end of August had come and the only regret Mark had about his summer was being a coward.

He had to finish buying his school supplies in the last days and couldn’t go back to the park, so that one last time he saw him felt like saying goodbye, even though the other boy probably had no clue Mark even existed. As frustrated as he was about not seeing the boy — probably ever again — buying new art supplies reminded him he was entering his dream school in a few days and he couldn’t feel happier. He knew he didn’t have many chances of seeing the boy again — he probably attended school too, maybe not even on the island. It made Mark sad in a way, but he’d get over it wouldn’t he? He hoped so. It was frustrating to know he wasn’t brave enough to follow Taeyong’s advice, but what could he do? He unfortunately couldn’t go back now, all he could do was stay mad at himself or try to move on, and he wanted to be happy in school, so staying mad wasn’t an option.

   

          The first day of school came fast. That day Mark woke up an hour early in an amazing mood. He was way too excited to go back to sleep, but he didn’t mind. Since he had time on his hands, he decided to eat his breakfast on the sea shore. He could’ve cooked something nice, but he was terrible at it, so he walked to a nearby bakery to buy himself some French pastries.

Mark had discovered the small bakery the first time he’d explored the island. It was close to the shore and it was held by a friendly young man called Johnny — he had a comforting aura as if he’d always be here if someone needed help — and who had immediately been nice to the younger boy. He was someone who had traveled a lot — he was originally from Chicago but had lived both in Korea and in France throughout his life — but he’d told Mark his favorite place had always been the island. He knew the bakery would be opened this early in the morning — Johnny had once told him he was a morning person so he always came to work early — so he could count on it for his breakfast.

Mark entered the shop with a huge smile on his face and chanted 'Hello!'. Johnny greeted him with a sweet smile and soon handed him a paper bag overflowing with delicious-looking pastries.

Before the black-haired boy could ask what this was about, the shop owner spoke up: 'I remembered today’s your first day, so I prepared that in case you’d come here for breakfast.' Johnny had to insist quite a while, but Mark ended up accepting not to pay for the food, leaving with a wave and a thankful smile. He then walked to the beach — it wasn’t really equipped like a touristic beach but it was still nice and enjoyable enough to be called one — sat on the sand and looked at the sea shining as he ate a croissant. Once he was done, he went back to his apartment to pick up his bag and walked excitingly to the school.

   

          The school building wasn’t far from the middle of the island. It was a huge stone building with big round windows, which looked old by its shape and material, yet modern by its style and embellishment. It was linked to a huge park dedicated to the students — for them to eat, work or hang out. Mark was already loving the place. It already felt like a new home. He headed inside the building, looking for indications or for other first years. He soon found three wooden boards on which lists were pinned, and actively looked for his name. There he was, Lee Mark, class B, room 103.

He easily found his way around so he took the time to look around him. The walls were either decorated with murals or covered in individual art pieces in pretty frames, and Mark felt like he was in a museum. This was even better that what he had dreamt of for all these years. Going to school had never gone that perfectly. The new student soon went to his classroom, which was still almost empty. The room was made of five big tables with four chairs around each of them, and a huge shelving unit filled with art supplies at the back of the class. The room slowly filled up with students and after a moment, only one sit was left, in front of Mark.

          He was looking around the room when he heard the last metal chair move. The last student had arrived. Mark turned around meaning to introduce himself to his classmate. But as soon as he looked up, the words got stuck in his throat.

Beautiful brown shining eyes were staring right at him. These eyes looked like a whole galaxy was living in them.

Mark felt like they could see his soul.

The owner of these starry eyes pushed a bright red strand of hair away from his eyes and, from that point on, Mark’s breath went out of control.

It was him.

The boy he’d been admiring all summer was staring right into his eyes, grinning confidently and not looking away. And that’s how Mark understood. He must have seen him at the park, because he definitely looked like he’d seen him before, and even worse, like he knew the black-haired boy had spent the entire summer obsessively drawing him.

The red-haired boy whispered 'Hi.' and it was enough for Mark to feel his face burn. His voice was even nicer than he could’ve imagined.

The Canadian boy tried answering but the only thing he managed to let out was a very fast and clumsy “H-hello, I-I-I’m Mark.”

The other boy’s expression was mixed, he looked like he was finding Mark’s reaction both cute and hilarious, and his grin wasn’t leaving his face. “My name’s Donghyuck,” he bent down over the table, getting closer to the other boy and making him even more flustered, “and I saw you drawing me.”

          Mark suddenly felt so guilty, Donghyuck must have been seeing him as a creepy stalker and that was absolutely not the first impression he wanted to give off to the most beautiful human being he’d ever seen.

“I’m so s-” he was interrupted by the teacher walking dynamically into the classroom.

His deep yet friendly voice rose up: “Hello, I am mister Kim but, as I want you to be comfortable with me, you can call me Taehyung.” he wrote his name on the whiteboard and turned to face the students. He looked very young, had messy vibrant blue hair, wore glasses and large clothes, and above all he had a really nice and comforting smile. Mark could already tell this was going to be a great class. “This year I will be your art analysis and story of arts teacher. You’ll be spending today with me, so I’ll start with an introduction of the year you have ahead of you, and then I’ll give you an analysis to do in pairs to test your abilities. You’ll be working with the person facing you.”

Mark froze. So now he had to work with Donghyuck, who probably thought he was a creep and who made him flustered with that confident smile of his. How would he ever survive that without making a fool out of himself? The black-haired boy tried his best to focus on Taehyung’s explanation, but all he could think about was how awkward working with the other boy would be. Despite that, a part of Mark couldn’t help but feel happy. He would’ve never thought he would see the red-haired angel from up close someday, and even less that he’d have to work with him. But he knew how ridiculously embarrassing he could be. Donghyuck would probably hate him, wouldn’t he?

   

          After two hours of trying to listen to Taehyung, the groups were each assigned to an art piece placed somewhere in the school and had to go analyze the meaning of the piece itself and of its placement. Mark liked this kind of exercise. He liked asking himself how art could interact with its surrounding. However, the amount of stress that being alone with Donghyuck provided him was way stronger than his implication in the assignment. It would be just the two of them, he’d have no way to avoid confrontation, and by the look the red-haired boy was giving him, he could guess the latter was thinking the exact same thing. His gaze wasn’t leaving Mark and he was giving him a confident and teasing smile. How in hell was Mark going to explain himself? He had no clue.

The both of them walked silently to the piece they had to analyze. It was in another classroom. It was a painting of a flying bird in nuances of grey on a really small canvas. There weren’t any other pieces hung on that wall, but it was covered by a colorful mural painting representing the sunset, making it look even more magnificent as a whole. Mark walked to the wall, trying to be professional about this exercise, but, before he could say anything, Donghyuck’s voice rose in his back.

“So, you want to tell me why you’ve been stalking me all summer?”

          Mark stopped breathing. The only thing he could think was “ _Oh, shit_.” He turned around very — very — slowly, not daring to look into the intimidating boy’s eyes. “Look I’m very very sorry. I-I just- I was on an art block a-and I was just looking for inspiration and you were there and I-” Donghyuck wasn’t smiling anymore and Mark was clumsily trying to apologize. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have. It’s just- you’re just so beautiful and- oh God I’m sorry, you must think I’m some weird stalker and- wait am I a weird stalker? Shit. I’m sorry. I swear, I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t excuse anything, but you just really look like a-an angel and you inspired me, and I shouldn’t be saying any of that, should I?” Mark had pronounced the last words so low he’d probably been the only one hearing them. He’d been looking down the whole time.

He slowly looked up, looking for some sort of reaction from Donghyuck, as scared as he was of what it could be. When he looked at the red-haired boy, he still wasn’t smiling, and the Canadian boy was regretting each one of his words. Why did he have to be so embarrassing in front of the one person he wanted to make a nice impression to? However, after a few seconds, a smile grew on Donghyuck’s angelic face.

“You’re such a weirdo,” he said after a chuckle, “it’s cute.”

Mark’s heart skipped a bit. “C-cute?”

The red-haired boy took a step forward. “Yes. You’re cute. Now let’s get to work, stalker!” The dark-haired boy’s face immediately turned tomato-red. A weird expression appeared across his face, a mix of happiness from being called cute, and of shame from being called a stalker.

 

          The two boys had two hours to do their work. In the end they’d managed to stay focus on the task they were assigned to do and both of them were really involved. Mark could tell Donghyuck was as passionate about art as he was himself. As focused as they were — or tried to be — he couldn’t help but look at the red-haired angel from time to time. He was even prettier up close, and now that Mark could see his eyes, he found him more intimidating than before. He gave off such confidence that the black-haired boy felt small next to him. He had cute, starry eyes, but whenever he looked at him, Mark felt like he could hear all of his thoughts.

Donghyuck kept teasing the other boy throughout the two hours — suddenly asking him “Why are you looking at me? Am I that pretty?” or calling him “stalker” — and as much as Mark had loved being with the red-haired boy, he was almost relieved when it was time to go back to class. A smile grew on his face as they left the room. At least he had had the opportunity to start knowing Donghyuck’s personality, to hear his pretty soft voice, and to realize he apparently wasn’t just pretty on the outside.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey reader! what did you think of mark and donghyuck's first interaction?
> 
> aloïs


	5. your voice

          The first school day had been exhausting for Mark, but he had rarely been as happy as he was at the end of it. Entering his dream school had provided him one of the best feeling he had ever experienced, but entering it with the most beautiful human he’d ever seen felt even better. Donghyuck didn’t seem to hate Mark as much as the latter would have expected him too. The dark-haired boy’s heart had beaten way faster than it normally should for the whole day. Donghyuck seemed to have the talent to make Mark fluster just by looking at him with these starry eyes of his, and he enjoyed it way too much for the Canadian boy’s sake. Even once their group work was done and they were sitting in class listening to Taehyung — he had told them how students could get their art displayed in the school — Donghyuck was still giving Mark confident looks, grinning at him, making the other boy embarrassed. The latter hadn’t imagined his angel boy with such a playful personality, but it was even better than anything he could have made up. At night, once he was comfortably laying in bed, Mark realized he would be seeing the boy of his dreams five days a week, that he could get to know him without being the stalker he had been all summer. And that made him the happiest he had been since summer had started.

          Mark’s second day had been just as enjoyably embarrassing as the first one. Donghyuck and him shared all their classes, and it felt like both luck and karma were telling the black-haired boy to be careful what he wishes for. All of their teachers were amazing, and Mark could tell they were passionate about their job. Most of them seemed very young, but really professional. So far, the only person the he had talked to was Donghyuck. He’d sit near Mark in most of their classes and his only goal seemed to be making the latter more and more flustered. He was confident but not cocky. His confidence made him hot, and Mark hated that he loved it. It was making him crazy. The red-haired boy kept bringing up Mark’s obsession and the Canadian boy never knew how to answer, how to react. He felt ashamed, but in a way, it felt like Donghyuck didn’t mind that much.

          When the time for lunch came, Mark headed to the park, expecting to eat there alone like he did on the first day. He had bought a sandwich at Johnny’s bakery and was hoping he would find a nice spot — preferably away from people — to eat and draw. However, as soon as he walked out of the school building, he was stopped by a — now familiar — voice calling his name. He turned around and saw Donghyuck waving at him, his bag on one shoulder and a beautiful smile lightning his face. “Hey Mark,” he said, “I’m eating with you!” Mark froze. “A-are you?” The red-haired angel simply nodded and walked past him. Mark didn’t seem to have a choice, but saying he minded would be lying. He caught up with the other boy, soon walking next to him. “Where do you want to eat?” Donghyuck asked. Mark loved his voice. It was soft. Soothing. He always sounded like he was singing. There was always something playful in his tone, when he was talking to Mark, but the latter didn’t feel like he was being made fun of. It was never mean, just teasing. He didn’t really understand why Donghyuck was so nice to him, when all he knew about Mark was that he was some kind of weird stalker. After all, maybe the desire to get to know the other was mutual?

          “Mark? Are you listening to me?” Mark was pulled out of his thoughts by Donghyuck’s voice. “What? Y-yes, yes. I’m listening.” The other boy chuckled — his laugh sounded like music to Mark’s ears. “Are you sure?” he asked, “You’ve been staring at my face for a solid minute, and you haven’t answered my question. Am I really that good looking?” Mark didn’t even think before confidently answering “Yes.” It took him a few seconds to realize what he had just said and to go back to his usual shy self. “Wait, no! That’s not what I meant! I mean, I’m not saying you’re ugly. Don’t get me wrong! You’re actually very far from being ugly. You’re beautiful! Like… Wow! Wait, I had a point, I was going somewhere with this… Ah, yes! That’s just not why I was staring at you. I was just thinking about your voi- No! No, I was definitely not thinking about your voice! Ah ah! I just- Um, I just got lost in my thoughts? Yeah, that’s it. I swear. Really. And… uh, w-what was the question, again?” Donghyuck stared at him for a second, a questioning look on his face, before bursting into laughter. Mark felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders, so he laughed too. The red-haired boy’s laugh was the most beautiful sound Mark had ever heard. Donghyuck sighed and turned to face the other boy. “Mark, you’re really hilarious. How can someone be that awkward?” he asked with a huge smile on his face. The black-haired boy scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. “I-I don’t know… I guess it’s just who I am. I’m sorry…” The red-haired angel frowned. “Don’t apologize for being yourself. Especially when being yourself means being incredibly cute.” Mark’s face was burning. He couldn’t even answer anything. He just awkwardly shifted around and walked away, deciding to look for a place for them to eat.

          The two boys eventually found a wooden table somewhere in the park. Donghyuck sat across from Mark. A ray of sun was lightning his face and his skin was glistening. His beauty was mesmerizing, even more so now that the dark-haired boy could see him from up close. They had spent the whole lunch talking, and Mark was finally discovering Donghyuck’s personality. He seemed to love art as much as the Canadian boy did. Since the latter had been held up for a year in the past, Donghyuck was a year younger than him, but none of them could feel that gap. The red-haired boy took every opportunity to be flirty and Mark — as embarrassed and awkward as he was — loved it. He loved it but a part of him still couldn’t tell if he was making fun of him or if he was really trying to display a growing affection. Anytime it felt real, Mark would tell himself it was just for fun, to not get his hopes up.

 

          After eating, they still had some time left before going back to class, so they just sat in the park, in a rather comfortable silence. Donghyuck was looking in the distance, and Mark’s gaze kept finding his way back to the red-haired angel. He was uncontrollably attracted to him. “You can draw me, if you want.” Mark was staring at Donghyuck this time, his mouth opening and closing frantically but no words coming out of it, looking for an excuse. But, after a few seconds, he realized it was useless. The red-haired boy knew everything. He’d seen him during the summer. The older boy was drowning in embarrassment, but he certainly didn’t want to miss such an opportunity. Mark took out his sketchbook in a rush — he was bad at hiding his excitement — and placed it on the wooden table, opening it to a new blank page. Staring that way at Donghyuck when he was completely aware felt awkward, but he didn’t seem to mind. He made a great model, he held an interesting posture and sat steadily, he was beautiful. “Donghyuck?” Mark said, almost whispering, scared of asking the other boy the question that was desperately hanging on his lips. The red-haired angel hummed in answer, allowing Mark to ask what he wanted to ask. The latter took a deep breath and looked down at his sketch, too shy to look at Donghyuck in the eyes. “Why are you letting me do this?” The black-haired boy didn’t look up, but he felt the other’s body shifting. He was already feeling his face heating up as he felt the younger boy’s gaze on him. “Well, actually,” Donghyuck started, “your behavior was kind of creepy, but _you_ didn’t seem creepy. You just looked so inspired and immersed in your work and I just- Mark look at me.” Mark was taken aback, but he still rose his head. He couldn’t look straight at Donghyuck, his eyes kept fleeing the other’s. It felt awkward just facing him that way, but when Donghyuck pronounced his next words, he couldn’t take his eyes off him anymore. “I wanted to know what you saw in me. I still do.”

 

          The two boys didn’t talk much for the rest of the day, but they kept giving each other interested glances. Mark would unintentionally look at Donghyuck and would then get embarrassed and blush when the other boy would look back, catching him red-handed. He’d always look at the older with his usual confident grin. Earlier, in the park, Donghyuck had appreciated Mark’s answer. A huge smile had spread on his face when the black-haired boy had told him that his aura had inspired him. From there, Mark hadn’t been able to stop his words from spilling out. He had told him he thought he looked angelic. He had told him he’d been wanting to talk to him since the first time he had seen him, but he was too shy for that. And after all that, Mark had felt too panicked to even look at Donghyuck’s reaction — not knowing he was missing his bright satisfied smile — and had left with a “sorry”. However, once they were back in class, the red-haired boy seemed very far from being mad. He kept shooting looks to Mark, without saying a word. There was something deeply mysterious about that boy, the older one could never tell what he was thinking, and for some reason it only made him more attractive, but it also confused the dark-haired boy. Anyone else would be weirded out by him, or so he thought. That day, when Mark went back home, he could only think of the way Donghyuck looked and smiled at him, because every time he did any of those, he started liking him more. He didn’t know what kind of feeling it was yet, but it was growing bigger each time he came across the bright-haired boy.

          The rest of the week went by even better. Mark was always too shy to initiate a conversation with Donghyuck, but the other would always come talk to him with a grin in between classes. They had eaten lunch together every day, and the red-haired boy would always let Mark draw him. It was always hard for them to start talking — the younger boy sometimes had to push a little to get Mark to relax — but as soon as they got into it, they fell into long philosophical talks about art, life on the island, themselves… The Canadian boy had learned quite a lot about Donghyuck in just a few days. The red-haired boy liked music. He liked singing, and Mark was craving to hear him, but he didn’t ask, because he knew if he heard him sing, he would only like him more. And he didn’t know if he could handle that. The more Donghyuck talked about himself and the more Mark wanted to know. Every aspect of his personality seemed to be one more reason for the black-haired boy to be attracted to him. Mark had a particular sensibility for music, and knowing the boy he was starting to fall for was a singer made him fall faster. His tastes in art were different from the older boy’s but it only made the latter want to learn everything about the red-haired angel’s references. The Canadian boy had also learned Donghyuck never failed to be a tease, but he would be lying if he said he didn’t like it. That week had been an endless cycle of Donghyuck teasing Mark to the point he blushed, then calling him cute and making him blush more.

 

          When the weekend came, Mark finally had some time to process everything that had happened during the week. He could finally think and realize how lucky he was. He’d spent most of the Saturday doing his schoolwork, taking only one break to go buy a snack at Johnny’s bakery. The shop owner had immediately noticed how good of a mood Mark was in. “I’m guessing you had a good first week, right?” he asked. The black-haired boy couldn’t hide his smile, so he decided not to hide the cause of his happiness either. “Well I… There is someone I like.” Johnny had excitingly asked Mark about it. The latter didn’t give too many details — he certainly did not talk about how he has stalked him all summer — but he told the owner he had met someone who seemed to be able to make him happy just by existing. He told him how it felt amazing to know that person appreciated him enough to spend time with him and to want to get to know him. Johnny seemed almost as excited as Mark himself, and it made the younger happy to share his feelings. Once he got back home, he decided he wanted to write to Taeyong. Not only to tell him about Donghyuck, but also about how the school was so far. He knew his older brother would want to know everything about his new life. He was excited to tell him he had finally had an opportunity to talk to the red-haired boy. It still didn’t feel real. Mark already knew an amazing year was ahead of him, especially if Donghyuck was part of it.

          On the Sunday, Mark had decided to take a walk in the park. He hadn’t even considered the fact that Donghyuck could be there, but he was welcomed by the red-haired boy laying on the grass next to the pond. He seemed to be sleeping and Mark didn’t want to bother him. He was bathing in sunlight, a book opened on his chest and his hands under his head. He had a relaxed expression and a peaceful smile on his face and the older boy didn’t want to disturb that for anything. He started walking away, but he was stopped by Donghyuck’s voice. “Come lay next to me, Mark.” His whole body froze. He slowly turned around. Donghyuck had one hand up above his eyes to protect from the sun, and was looking up at him, his eyes barely opened and his smile wider than before. He looked beautiful. “Come on, you’re not going to sit alone while I’m right here, lay down.” Donghyuck said. Mark opened his mouth but said nothing. He took a deep breath and a hesitant step towards the red-haired angel, sitting at first. He shot a look at the other boy, he was smiling and Mark relaxed a little. He laid down, not too close to Donghyuck — he was scared of just their skins brushing against each other — not looking at him. He knew he’d feel flustered, seeing him from so close. He felt awkward. He didn’t know what to do with his hands, he didn’t know where to look, what to say. “Mark?” He still didn’t look at the other boy, but he hesitantly answered: “Y-yes?” He heard Donghyuck chuckle. “Look at me.” Mark gulped with difficulty. “W-why?” he asked. “I want to check something.” The Canadian boy closed his eyes and breathed in. He slowly turned his head, facing Donghyuck. His eyes immediately met the other boy’s. He loved his starry eyes. They shone under the sun like a thousand stars. “Are you okay?” His voice surprised Mark. The latter’s gaze went to his lips for a second, then back to his eyes. “I’m okay, w-why?” Donghyuck looked like he was trying to hold his laugh. He turned towards the sky, looking at the clouds moving above him. “Mark...” he said slowly, “Your face is as red as my hair, cutie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey reader, sorry i took so long to update, but finally here's a new chapter!


	6. letter 2: mark to taeyong

    Hi Taeyong hyung! How are you?

 

My first week of school ended and I have a lot to tell you!

 

    First of all, the school is even better than what I had imagined. It’s so pretty and the park is really nice. Students can get their art exhibited in the school hallways, I’m hoping I can get some of my pieces hung up too!

    The teachers are really nice, and even if most of them seem young they’re really professional and talented. They’re very interesting and I can’t wait to see what they’ll teach us.

    People in my class seem nice, but I didn’t really speak to anyone yet, you know how I am….

    There is one person I did talk to, though. His name is Donghyuck and… He’s the cute boy from the park.

    You can’t even imagine how embarrassed I was when he sat at my table on the first day! I told me he noticed me this summer, but he doesn’t seem to mind it? He’s very nice, actually. He’s been eating with me since Tuesday (I don’t really know why, he just decided he would…), and he always lets me draw him.

    When I saw him this summer, I always imagined what his personality was like, but I actually really thought I’d never get to know more than what he looks like. Isn’t it crazy that he goes to the same school? In the same year? In the same class?

    I don’t know what to think.

    He’s so likable, but I don’t want want the year to start with an unrequited crush… Why would he like me?

    I hope we can at least be friends, but that seems to already be the case.

   

    Give me some news! How’s everyone?

    And come visit me big bro, I get lonely without you!

 

    Your brother who knows nothing about love and relationships and who needs your help,

            Mark


	7. friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw//panick attack

          When Monday came, Mark was anticipating seeing Donghyuck. Last time they had seen each other, he had found excuses to run away from the park, to flee his overwhelming embarrassment. Mark didn’t know how to deal with this kind of feelings. He didn’t know how to handle liking someone without making a fool of himself. Donghyuck would probably be mad at him. When he entered the classroom, the younger boy was already there, talking to one of their classmates — a boy named Renjun. He found a stool and easel far enough from Donghyuck. He didn’t want to ignore him, but he didn’t know how else to handle things. He had no clue what to say to make running away less ridiculous. During the first two hours of class, the two boys shared a few glances, but Mark couldn’t read the younger’s expression. After those two hours, the teacher gave them a break. When the black-haired boy was about to get up of his stool and out of the room — discreetly so the other boy didn’t notice him and to avoid confrontation — he was stopped by that voice he loved. “Hey, cutie.” Donghyuck said. Mark looked up at him, surprised. “A-aren’t you mad at m-me?” He asked. “I just… Ran away like that.” The red-haired boy chuckled before looking right into Mark’s eyes, an understanding smile forming on his face. “You got shy, I get it. The only thing I’m a little frustrated about is that you shortened our time together.” Donghyuck’s smile never left his lips, and the older boy relaxed a little. He still felt guilty, but the other boy seemed aware of that. He was always incredibly nice to Mark but, sometimes, the latter wished he wasn’t. At least he wouldn’t be falling deeper each time he was in his presence. With how nice and understanding and funny the red-haired boy was, there was no stopping it. All he could do was keep falling.

          Mark felt way better after the break, but he also felt stressed. Donghyuck had asked him if he wanted to eat lunch with his friends saying he wanted to introduce him to them. At first the older boy only felt the honor of being worth meeting the red-haired boy’s friends. But once the class started again, the excitement faded away and it was just him and his thoughts in front of a canvas. He started panicking. What if they didn’t like him? What if they knew about how he had met Donghyuck, and made fun of him for it? What if the other boy realized how awkward and introvert he really was and didn’t like that? He was freaking out. He was afraid of being rejected. He had grown to trust Donghyuck, but he knew nothing about his friends, and he was awful at socializing. It wasn’t easy for Mark to give people his trust. He was started to regret accepting, but could he even back out now?

          By the time the class ended — and lunch time arrived — it was getting harder to breathe. Mark left the classroom in a hurry, not waiting for Donghyuck. He couldn’t do it. He was scared of failing. Of being made fun of. He ran to the nearest bathroom, entering a bathroom stall and locking the door behind him. He heard a voice calling him, but it seemed to come from so, so far-away. He couldn’t tell who it was. He wasn’t even sure someone was actually looking for him. Everything was blurry, was he crying? He didn’t know, until he felt unstoppable tears running down his face. He could barely breathe, at this point. His hands were scanning the space around him, touching everywhere, looking for something to hold onto. He felt like he was being strangled.

          A loud bang on the door tamed his thoughts for a second, making him somewhat more aware of his surroundings. “Mark! What’s going on? Open the door!” He recognized Donghyuck’s voice now. “N-no.” Was the only word that came out of Mark’s strained throat. “Please, Mark. I’m here. You’re not alone. Please. Open the door.” The younger’s voice sounded almost pleading. There was no playfulness anymore, and the older felt guilty for worrying him. He looked for the doorknob, having a hard time grabbing it because of how shaky his hands were. He unlocked the door with difficulty, and Donghyuck pulled it opened. He looked at Mark for a second, seeing him in such a vulnerable state. The dark-haired boy felt ashamed. He couldn’t read the younger’s expression. Maybe it was judgement. But he was soon proven wrong.

          He didn’t really have time to process it, but he suddenly felt two arms wrap around his shaking body, his arms pressed between their two chests. The two boys were about the same height, but in that moment, Mark felt ridiculously small. Donghyuck put one hand on the small of his back, and brought the other to his hair, stroking it softly. “You’re going to be okay.” He whispered, sending a shiver down Mark’s spine. The latter couldn’t stop crying, but at least now he could breathe. “I’m so s-sorry.” He let out between two sobs. The red-haired angel told him not to apologize. He kept telling him everything was going to be okay. He reminded him he wasn’t alone. He never asked what was wrong, he let Mark say only what he wanted to say. He told him he had nothing to be sorry for. He said he didn’t have to eat with his friends, that he didn’t have to do anything if it made him feel that way. He told him he wasn’t alone, and that’s when the older boy stopped crying. He took a deep breath and smuggled into Donghyuck’s shoulder. He smelled like lavender. The Canadian boy slowly pulled away from the other, looking him in the eyes, seeing the worried look on his face. He wiped a last tear rolling down his cheek. “I… I’m okay.” He started, as steadily as he could. “I’ll be okay.” Donghyuck’s hands were resting on the older boy’s shoulders. He didn’t say anything, waiting for Mark’s next words. “I’ll eat with you and your friends but I-I… What if they don’t like me? What if they hate me? What if you start hating me too?” Donghyuck’s gaze softened, still staring into Mark’s eyes. He brushed a few strands of hair off of the dark-haired boy’s face, then leaving his hands on his cheeks. “How could I hate someone as amazing as you, Mark Lee?”

 

          The two boys met Donghyuck’s friend in the park. Mark recognized Renjun — a Chinese transfer student with light brown hair and who looked young — who was in their class, but he didn’t know the other two. One of them looked as confident and flirty as Donghyuck, he had his arm around Renjun’s shoulders and was looking at him with a grin, but Mark didn’t find it as impressive as when it was the red-haired boy. He really wasn’t subjective, and he knew it. That boy had a nice smile and pink hair. His name was Jaemin. When they had arrived, he’d excitingly greeted Mark, saying he was happy to finally meet him. His words made the dark-haired boy realize Donghyuck had been talking about him, yet they didn’t seem to be mocking him in any ways. The third boy had a sharp jaw, a pretty eye-smile and bleached white hair, and introduced himself as Jeno. He greeted Mark with a hand wave before turning to the red-haired boy, asking: “So, he’s that boy you like?” The Canadian boy’s face immediately turned bright red. Was that how the younger described him? It couldn’t be. He had to be joking. He was expecting Donghyuck to brush it off, to laugh at the joke, but the latter turned to him, looked him in the eyes and said: “Yes, it’s him.” Mark choked on thin hair, embarrassed at his answer. He coughed one last time and asked the other what he meant, but all he did was wink at him and sit at the wooden table, only confusing Mark more.

          In the end, the black-haired boy didn’t regret eating with them. Donghyuck and his friends were hilarious and even though he still felt awkward — mostly because of how nervous the red-haired boy made him — they made him feel more comfortable than people usually did. When the end of their lunch break was approaching, Mark spotted an area of the park he wanted to draw, and walked away without telling the others, not wanting to cut them in their intense conversation about who was the best at Super Smash Brothers. He sat on the grass, facing a big tree, its leaves filtering the sunlight. He took out his sketchbook and favorite pencil and started drawing. A few minutes a later, he felt movement next to him, a hand on his shoulder and someone sitting next to him.

          “Hey Mark.” The latter turned to face Donghyuck. The light breeze — one of the things the Canadian boy loved the most about living on an island — was brushing his bright red hair off his face. The beams of sunlight made his skin and eyes shine. His skin like the sun and his eyes like its solar system. “Hey, Donghyuck.” The boy with honey-like skin smiled, and Mark’s heart skipped a bit. Donghyuck told the older boy he had something to ask him, and he answered with a nod, telling him to ask anything he wanted. “Could you show me your drawings? The ones from this summer?” He asked. Mark felt his face heat up. “W-why?’ He managed to make out in a stuttering mess. The younger boy gave him a tender gaze. “Didn’t I tell you I want to know what you see in me?” The older boy stayed silent for a full minute, thinking about what he had to lose if he decided to show the red-haired boy his drawing. He was on the verge of saying no when he saw the eager look on Donghyuck’s face. He couldn’t resist it. He couldn’t resist him. “A-alright, I guess.” Donghyuck cheered. The dark-haired boy’s heart was beating way faster than it should’ve been. He shuffled around, looking for his sketches from the summer, and handed his sketchbook to Donghyuck. Mark was staring to the other boy, looking for some sort of reaction. His expression was unreadable at first, before a huge smile formed on his face. His eyes were shining. The older boy was quite confident in his art skills, but he never thought it could make someone so happy. “Mark, these are beautiful!” Donghyuck said with enthusiasm. “You made me look way better than I actually do.” he added with a chuckle. Mark looked at him, confused, but didn’t think before saying: “That’s not possible.” The red-haired boy gave him a questioning look. “My drawings are j-just a representation b-but you- um, you’re way better in r-reality. I-I don’t think one could t-translate your, um, your beauty in a-a drawing.” Donghyuck stared at him for a moment, before cracking up his usual grin. “You’re getting bolder, cutie, I love it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey reader! this chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones but i hope you'll still enjoy it!


	8. letter 3: taeyong to mark

    Hello baby bro!

 

    I’m so happy the school lived up to your expectations, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your few years there. Hopefully you can get your art exhibited, you’re very talented, you deserve it!

    Now let’s talk about that Donghyuck boy, shall we? I guess you’ve been given a second chance to get to know him… I’m glad he’s nice and funny and that you have someone to spend time with.

    Don’t be so certain he won’t like you as more than a friend though! You’re pretty great, he’d be dumb not to like you, Mark. As you said even if he didn’t have the same feelings you’re starting to have, you’d still have at least a new friend, but don’t be so pessimistic. Crush aren’t always a bad thing.

Do you remember how I was when I started liking Ten? I was so sure he didn’t like me back that I ruined a lot of opportunities for myself, and now that we’ve been together for two years, I’m thankful for that one time I was bold enough to ask him out!

By the way, the both of us will visit you soon! I don’t know when exactly, but we’ll come spend at least a weekend with you (and maybe meet your crush?).

 

    The parents are okay, you should call them soon, they miss you. I know you’re a bit angry about them not agreeing with all your plans, but they let you choose in the end, so don’t be too mad, okay baby bro?

   

I miss you a lot, but I really am happy to know you’re finally living the life you waited for for so long. Be happy!

 

   

    With love,

            Taeyong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! i created a twitter account to give updates on the story, if you're interested you can follow @jageunyong !  
> thanks for reading!


	9. sweet dreams

          The rest of the week went smoothly. Mark even got a letter from his brother and was really excited about him coming to visit soon. However, he felt something was different between him and Donghyuck. There was some sort of unspoken mutual feeling. It didn’t feel bad, but Mark couldn’t name it and it confused him. He — or at least a part of him — still denied any chance of Donghyuck liking him in a romantic way, but his words kept echoing in Mark’s head. 

_So, he’s that boy you like? Yes._

It sounded so… Honest. So sincere. It made the dark-haired boy hope. He wouldn’t admit it, but deep down he felt maybe there was a chance his crush wasn’t so unrequited, after all. Mark was starting to really feel comfortable around the red-haired boy. He was still shy, but the other telling him he liked his boldness had somewhat boosted his confidence. He wanted Donghyuck to like him. He didn’t know if he was hoping too much, but he wanted to try and make it work. 

   

          On Friday night, Mark was gathering his supplies to head home when he heard someone calling for him. For once, Donghyuck wasn’t the one looking for him, and he turned around to see who it was. 

“Oh. Hey, Jaemin. What’s up?” Mark asked, happy to see the red-haired boy’s friend again. 

“Hey! I’m gonna meet the others to eat pizza on the beach, wanna join? Donghyuck would love that. He’s sad because he thinks you left already. I wasn’t expecting to see you here, actually.” 

Mark was surprised. Did the younger boy really enjoy his presence that much? “H-he really wants me there?” Jaemin nodded surely, and it only took Mark a second to agree. He couldn’t wait to hang out with Donghyuck’s friends again and, above all, he couldn’t wait to spend more time with the boy he liked. 

          Mark and Jaemin got to the beach in about ten minutes, joining the others. They were sitting on the sand, three huge steaming pizza boxes in front of them. The dark-haired boy immediately looked for Donghyuck, wanting to sit next to him. His eyes soon landed on the younger boy, but he was sitting between Jeno and Renjun, his head on the white-haired boy’s shoulder. He didn’t notice the two boys arriving. Mark sat down next to Renjun, and Jaemin between him and Jeno. Donghyuck rose his head, finally noticing them. He looked at Mark in confusion for a few seconds, before becoming his playful self again and shooting him a grin and a wink. Mark’s face was already burning hot and he looked away embarrassed. The red-haired boy’s welcoming smile had warmed up his heart, but soon he had started to think he shouldn’t have come. 

          Jaemin had told him Donghyuck wanted him there, yet he was barely acknowledging his presence. He looked his way a few times, at first, but he almost didn’t talk to him. It was five of them, maybe it was normal for them to not talk as much as if it was only them two, but things weren’t that way the first time. When they’d all hung out together in the park, and Donghyuck was sitting next to Mark, it wasn’t the same. But now he was leaning on Jeno’s shoulder as they were talking about some TV show Mark had never heard about with Jaemin and Renjun.

And right there, in the middle of what should’ve been a nice time with friends, Mark was facing one of his worst fears: being left out.

   

          “I think I should leave now.” Mark didn’t let the others reacts before he got up and walked away. 

_They didn’t even notice, did they?_

He didn’t look back. Maybe he shouldn’t have reacted that way, but back there he felt useless. The younger didn’t care if he was there or not. He wouldn’t care either, if he was him. How could he have thought a boy as amazing as Donghyuck could like him the way he wanted him to. 

“So stupid.” He muttered, kicking the sand. 

He walked alone for a moment, before he heard someone calling his name. He had a strong feeling of dejavu. He turned around and saw Donghyuck running towards him. “Mark, wait!” 

The latter was confused, what did he want? 

The red-haired boy soon reached him, panting and catching his breath. "Why… Why did you leave?" he asked. 

Mark said nothing for a few seconds. The night was dark, but he could distinguish how concerned the red-haired boy looked. Maybe he cared. "I- um, I didn't feel like you... cared, if I stayed or not." Mark started. "I guess I kind of felt… Left out? Jaemin said you wanted me there, but in the end, I felt like I wasn't needed. It wasn't the same when we all had lunch together, that day I felt comfortable, but today it felt like I wasn't in my place." 

Donghyuck wasn't panting anymore. He just looked Mark in the eyes. For once, he seemed to be the one at a loss of words. He sighed. "Mark I… Can I be honest?" Mark nodded slowly, holding his breath, dreading what the younger boy was about to say. Was he going to tell him he actually didn't like him? That he didn't want to spend time with him anymore? The black-haired boy's breathing was starting to speed up.

"Mark, I like you. I like you a lot." Mark's mind immediately went blank. All the voices telling him Donghyuck hated him suddenly stopped. Had he heard wrong? 

"Y-y-y-you w-what?" He must've meant it in a friendly way, right? Mark was just getting excited too fast. Maybe he didn't even mean it. 

"I like you." Donghyuck said, again. His tone serious, staring into the older's eyes. "I really do. And I hate thinking I made you feel left out. It's just… You seemed a bit embarrassed when you got here, and I wasn't sure whether it was because of me or not and I guess I didn't want to make things awkward for you? I thought maybe you'd feel better if I just acted like I usually do around my friends. It was dumb, I'm sorry, I just wasn't sure how to act." 

Mark didn't know how to react. He wasn't even sure to understand what was happening. "B-because you don't act the way you do with them, around me?" Donghyuck sighed and chuckled. What was so funny about it? 

"I don't flirt with my friends, Mark. Or at least not the way I do with you." Confusion must have been painted on the older's face, because Donghyuck tried to hold his laughter. "You're so clueless!" 

Mark really had no idea what was going on. There was no way the red-haired angel liked him romantically. It wasn't possible. _He can't like me,_ Mark thought, but Donghyuck spoke up, as if he had heard the older's thoughts. 

"Mark, I meant it, when I said I liked you, but you seem a bit slow, so I'll explain, alright, cutie?" The dark-haired boy nodded slowly, unsure. The younger took a deep breath and started: "I want us to be more than friends. And for that I want to get to know you. Because I'm starting to like you, to have romantic feelings for you. I'm not asking you to be my boyfriend right now, not yet, because I don't want to rush things and because I want to let this happen naturally and because there is still so much I want to learn about you, and I want to see where it'll lead us. And hopefully and will lead us to date, because I'd love that. I really would. And something tells me you wouldn't mind either. Do you get it now?" 

 

          When the two boys came came back, Renjun, Jaemin and Jeno were looking their way and whispering, but the gossiping stopped as soon as they got near enough to hear. They'd just smiled to them as they sat down, and let the conversation start again naturally. After Donghyuck's declaration, Mark hadn’t known what to say. He had nodded, told the other he got it. He hadn't told the red-haired boy he liked him back — he was too speechless for that — but it seemed like an understatement. There was some weird tension between them, after that. Weird, but not in a bad way. Mark felt happy. He felt lucky a boy as amazing as Donghyuck would like him. But, as usual, a part of him still found a way to worry. 

The younger boy said he wanted to get to know him, but what if the more he knew about him, the less he liked him? What if this didn’t end the way Mark was hoping it would? What would he do? It was most likely because of his low self-esteem but the older boy just felt there was no way things would end up well for him. 

          As worried as he was, Mark decided to just enjoy the rest of the night. He was having way more fun after talking to Donghyuck. The five boys devoured their pizzas in between laughers. The red-haired boy had sat next to Mark, once they were back with the group. From times to times, he’d lean closer, making their shoulders touch. Mark first thought it was unintentional, but from the look Donghyuck kept giving him — a playful gaze and his usual grin — he understood the younger boy was intentionally making physical contact. Mark’s body would freeze each time he felt Donghyuck’s shoulder against his, yet a comfortable warmth would bloom in his chest. He could feel his heart pound in a fast, irregular pace. That was the effect the red-haired angel had on him.

   

          After a while, the boys decided to head back home. Donghyuck and Mark left the others and walked together, as it seemed that their apartments were in the same direction. It was quite late, but Mark was realizing he didn't want to leave the other boy. They weren't talking, but rather appreciating each other's company in silence. They were walking slowly, their shoulders almost touching, nudging each other's side from times to times, looking and smiling at each other without a reason. 

"I'm going that way now. I'll see you later?" Donghyuck said after a few minutes. 

The black-haired boy didn’t answer immediately. He had a few seconds to find a way to stay longer with Donghyuck and, in a sudden rush of boldness, he asked: “Could I m-maybe… Walk you home?” 

Donghyuck stopped walking and looked at him, surprised, his eyes wide opened and a huge smile slowly forming on his face. “Well, Mark Lee, you never cease to amaze me. _You_ want to walk _me_ home? Do you just wanna know where I live, stalker?” 

Mark’s boldness faded away as fast as it appeared and in a second his face was redder than the other boy’s hair. “No! That’s not why! I just… I’m not a stalker! I just want to spend m-more time with… With y-you.”

Donghyuck’s expression softened. For once, he wasn’t wearing his teasing smile, he simply looked… Happy. “You can walk me home,” he started, “but it’s pretty late, you should stay over.” 

Mark choked on thin hair, making the younger burst out of laughter. The older caught his breath and, between two coughs, he asked: “Stay over? As in me? At your place? With you?” That only made donghyuck laugh harder. 

“No, Mark, you at my place, without me!” Confusion was painted on the Mark’s face, and the red-haired boy sighed before he continued. “I’m kidding cutie,” Donghyuck continued, “yes, you and me. At my place. I’ll take the couch.”

 

          That night was a lot to handle for Mark, yet there he was, walking along with the boy he liked, heading to the latter’s apartment. They only walked a few minutes before Donghyuck stopped in front of a small, old looking building. Despite how old it looked, it was beautiful. Mark remembered walking passed it as he wandered around the city during the summer and wondering what it looked like in the inside. The two boys walked up a few flights of stairs before getting to Donghyuck’s apartment. He opened the door for Mark, telling him to go in first, so he did. 

He looked around curiously, like a kid in a toy store. Even the inside of the building looked pretty vintage, the apartment had a tall ceiling and reminded him of old French buildings he had seen pictures off. It was small but cozy. Pictures, postcards and art pieces were hung on the walls and the place was filled with a variety of green plants. Mark’s apartment was nice, but he didn’t have as much personality as this one had. 

“You like it?” The Donghyuck asked. 

The Canadian boy nodded energetically and answered: “I love it!” 

          Donghyuck took Mark’s bag and jacket and hung them on a coat rack attached to the door. 

“Come on, I’ll show you to my room.” He said. 

Mark didn’t want to let the younger boy sleep on the couch, but he knew he would be too stubborn to let his guest take his place. A part of the older boy wanted to tell Donghyuck they could both sleep on the bed — he certainly wouldn’t mind — but he was way too shy for that. Donghyuck’s room was just as nice — and green — as the rest on the flat. It had a huge window and a huge bed. 

 _We’d definitely both fit in that bed_ , Mark thought. 

Donghyuck gave the older sweatpants and a t-shirt for him to sleep in and did everything to make him comfortable. Yet Mark was dying in embarrassment. He hadn’t realized he would actually be sleeping in his bed and in his clothes. The clothes and the bed of the boy he liked. Was he supposed to be feeling this weird? He had no clue. 

          The younger didn’t seem to notice how Mark was feeling. He asked him if he needed anything, and after the latter answered no, he left the room with a sweet smile, his melodic voice resonating in Mark’s mind.

_Have sweet dreams, cutie._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey reader! you might have noticed i'm trying to make my writing less compact in this chapter, im gonna go over the previous ones soon to try and make them lighter as well, i hope you like it that way!
> 
> this is a cute chapter, i think, so i hope you enjoyed it, and thank you for reading!!


	10. comfort

          Mark couldn’t sleep. He'd been laying there for almost two hours now, completely awake, unable to fall asleep. He kept replaying the events in his mind. He kept hearing Donghyuck's voice, telling him loud and clear: "I like you."

It still felt unreal and his feelings were split between happiness and fear. He was happy he hadn't hoped for nothing, but he was scared things wouldn't go his way. Donghyuck still had a lot to learn about him. He could still stop liking him. And that scared Mark. 

Meeting new people, getting into new relationships, trusting people… Those were really hard things for him. And he had already given his trust and feelings to a boy he had only known for a few weeks. He felt he had already fallen too hard for the red-haired angel, getting his heart broken now would destroy him. He knew it. He knew himself. 

Mark was scared, yes. But he also couldn't stop himself from smiling. Despite everything that could go wrong, he could also end up in a nice relationship with a beautiful, talented, funny boy. He could be happy. 

He wanted that so bad. 

 

          After turning in his bed — Donghyuck's bed actually — endlessly, Mark got up as discreetly as he could, wanting to go get a glass of water from the kitchen. He walked slowly, trying to prevent the old wooden floor from cracking, not wanting to wake Donghyuck up. Suddenly, when he was almost at the kitchen door, a voice rose, making him jump in surprise. 

"Can't sleep?" Donghyuck asked. 

Mark turned around, holding his chest. "Oh my God Donghyuck, you scared the hell out of me!" He sighed, calming down. "Why are you awake?" He asked, surprised to see the other boy wide awake and looking at him from the couch. 

"I asked first." The younger boy stated.

Mark stuttered, looking for an answer that wouldn't give away his worries. "Just… Too many thoughts, I guess. What about you?" 

Donghyuck seemed satisfied with the answer, and Mark sighed in relief. The red-haired boy got up, stretched and yawned, before saying: "This couch is very uncomfortable," he chuckled, "I might as well sleep on the ground." 

          Mark knew this was his chance to say something. Maybe it was the tiredness acting up or maybe he was actually getting bolder, but he decided it was time for him to make a move. “You know,” he started, “we could both sleep on your bed. It’s huge.” 

The black-haired boy had never seen such a surprised expression on Donghyuck’s face. Mark could tell he liked the idea from the huge smile slowly growing on his face. They looked at each other for what felt like a few long minutes without saying anything. Mark’s boldness was slowly vanishing, and he was feeling his face get hotter and hotter. “Donghyuck please say something I’m panicking inside and your silence is not helping, I’m not used to that ‘being bold’ bullshit, please be the one making the first move next time or I’ll have a panic attack.” Mark had talked so fast that it took a few second for Donghyuck to actually get what he was trying to say. When he did, he chuckled lightly before getting up and taking a few steps towards his bedroom. 

“I like the idea of you making moves, but I also like your shy and blushing self a lot, so I’ll make the first move next time.” He gave Mark a confident smile before continuing, “Now go do whatever you wanted to do in my kitchen and come sleep, you look tired and I like cuddling.” 

 

          Mark was trying his best to calm down as he sipped nervously on his glass of water. He certainly loved the idea of cuddling with Donghyuck, but he was also awkward and shy and bad at any sort of physical contact. Maybe the younger boy would initiate it? What if Mark tried, only to realize Donghyuck was only kidding? That was way too stressful. He decided if the red-haired boy wanted to cuddle he would have to make the move himself, and he had no doubt he would if he wanted to. 

Mark walked back to the room, slowly, trying to give himself time to calm down. He took a deep breath before pushing the door open. Donghyuck was laying in the middle of the bed, on his side, scrolling through his phone, but he looked up as soon as Mark came in. He turned to face him and gave him a small, tired smile. He scooted to the side and gave Mark a nod, indicating him to come to the bed. The latter laid on his side, facing Donghyuck, as far from him as he could. 

"Mark," the red-haired boy started, "we can't cuddle if you're this far from me. You know, we don't have to if you don't want to."

The older boy shook his head no. "N-no, I want to, I just… Don't know h-how." His eyes were fleeing Donghyuck’s. How was he supposed to explain he had no experience with cuddling other than with his brother when he was seven and had bad nightmares? He didn’t know how to do this. 

          Donghyuck didn’t say anything, at first. He gave Mark a comforting smile and scooted closer to him, just a little, giving him the freedom to do whatever he was comfortable with. Donghyuck slowly reached for Mark’s hand. The older boy’s first reflex was to pull away, surprised by the other boy’s initiative. The red-haired boy was looking right at him, his starry eyes piercing through him, showing him he could trust him. He had nothing to be scared about. Mark took a deep breath. It was his turn to reach out to the other’s hand. At first, only the tip of their fingers touched. _His skin is soft_ , Mark thought. Donghyuck was moving slowly, and the more their skins touched, the more he wrapped his hands around Mark’s, and the more Mark trusted him. The older was melting to the touch. There was something utterly comforting and reassuring about the whole situation. He knew he was in a safe space, he knew he could relax, let go. 

“So, um… Donghyuck? Your skin is v-very soft and I enjoy holding your hand, um, a lot but… Do we just, stay like that? Is that… Cuddling?”

Donghyuck chuckled. “We can do whatever you want, Mark, but for that you still need to come closer.”

   

          That led to a few very awkward minutes of fiddling around to find a good position. First, Donghyuck’s arms found their way around Mark’s waist, pulling him closer. They just hugged like that for a moment, but they both kept shifting around in each other’s arms, not finding a comfortable way to lay down that way. Mark didn’t know where to put his arms and Donghyuck kept asking him to move his head. After a moment of desperate moving around, Donghyuck let go of Mark’s waist and sighed.

“Should we try spooning?” The younger asked, shameless, surprising Mark.

The older boy blushed. He hadn't thought of it, but he couldn't say he didn't want Donghyuck to hold him that way. 

"You seem to like the idea." The younger chuckled. He ruffled Mark's hair. "Turn around." he whispered softly. 

          The dark-haired boy shifted in the bed, making his back face Donghyuck. He felt his arms snuggle around his waist, and his face rest on the crook of his neck. Donghyuck was warming his body, yet a thrill went down his spine. He was tense, at first, but the younger’s fingers drawing invisible circles on his stomach and his breath tickling his neck just made him melt into the embrace.

“I like this,” Mark whispered, “I really like this.” 

Donghyuck snuggled closer, leaving a small kiss on Mark’s shoulder, making the latter tense up in surprise and become redder than ever. “Me too, cutie, I could get used to this.”

Mark’s heart was racing. He could definitely get used to it as well. He wanted this to become his daily life. He wanted to always be able to rely on Donghyuck’s comforting arms. He wanted to be able to dive into this warm feeling of trust and affection whenever he wanted. He wanted Donghyuck to be his boyfriend. He wanted it so bad. 

“W-we should try and s-sleep now.” Mark was too embarrassed to say anything else.

“Good night, my prince.” 

Mark blushed at the new nickname. The effect a few words could have on him when they came from Donghyuck was almost scary, but he couldn’t say he didn’t like it. It felt natural. It felt perfect.

“G-good night, H-hyuck.” 

Mark thought he’d be too nervous to fall asleep when he was so close to the boy he liked, but he ended up feeling the most comfortable he had ever felt. It only took him a few minutes to fall asleep in the reassuring warmth of Donghyuck’s arms, and to slide into a sleep full of dreams. Dreams of a red-haired angel kissing him and telling him he loved him.

 

          Mark was a bit confused when he woke up. For a second he didn’t remember where he was and started stressing out. However, as soon as he started moving, he felt an arm around his waist, and it all felt safe again. He was with Donghyuck. In his bed. They had fallen asleep while cuddling, he remembered now. Mark couldn’t stop a huge smile from spreading onto his face. This wasn’t a dream, yet it felt like it. 

He shifted slowly in the bed, trying not to wake Donghyuck up. He pulled himself out of the younger’s embrace and rolled out of bed, making as little noise as he could. Once he was out of the bed, he looked down at the red-haired boy. He looked even more like an angel when he was sleeping. It was the first time he saw him looking so innocent, without his confidence and sarcasm. He was pretty. Every aspect of him was pretty. 

          Mark wanted to thank Donghyuck for letting him stay over, somehow, and the only thing he could think about was making him breakfast. He soon gave up on that idea after remembering how disastrous he was at cooking. He then remembered he could simply go to Johnny’s bakery like he usually did, since it wasn’t too far from Donghyuck’s apartment. He convinced himself letting his door unlocked for fifteen minutes at eight in the morning wouldn’t harm anyone, so he put his shoes on and went out. 

There was a nice breeze outside, making Mark’s hair dance softly against his forehead. While he was walking to the bakery, he had time to be alone with his thoughts. Time to realize how happy he was. This seemed too perfect to be true. He would’ve never imagined things going this well for him. His pathological pessimism never allowed him to imagine the best for himself, often keeping him from going into situations that could have worked in his favor. He was always so sure he’d end up sad, hurt and disappointed that he had stopped trying to make things work for himself. Or at least he did until he met Donghyuck. The red-haired boy made him feel different. He made him feel like he could be happy if he didn’t give up so fast, he made him realize that if he fought for himself, he’d end up getting what he wanted. Maybe that was happening right now. Maybe he had finally allowed himself to try and obtain the things he desired.

          Mark arrived at Johnny’s bakery a few minutes later, his hair messy from the wind and a big smile across his still sleepy face. 

“Hi, Johnny!” He said as he entered the small shop.

The owner, who was at the back of the store, came out, smiling. “Mark! Good morning! How are you today?” He asked happily. 

Mark walked closer to the counter, thinking a little about how much he should tell Johnny about everything that happened with Donghyuck. Even if he wanted to hide it, the uncontrollable smile his face would give away how happy he felt anyways.

“I’m… Feeling pretty amazing, actually.” He ended up saying. Johnny’s interested gaze made him continue. “Remember that boy I told you about? The one I like?” Johnny nodded yes. “Last night h-he told me he liked me… And then he invited me to sleep over at his place and we cuddled, and I feel so happy because things are actually going my way for once and I’m not ruining everything for myself.”

Johnny looked so happy it warmed Mark’s heart. “Mark this is great! I’m so happy for you! So, tell me, are you two dating?”

Mark sighed and leaned against the counter. “I wish we were, but he said he wanted us to take things slow and to get to know me better before asking me out, and for now I’m happy with that.”

Johnny seemed to think this was the right choice as well, and took some of Mark’s worries away. They talked a little bit more until the black-haired boy remembered he was supposed to hurry back to Donghyuck’s place. He bought a few croissants and other pastries, and walked back to the younger’s flat. 

 

          He got there a few minutes later. After taking his shoes off, he started walking towards the kitchen, but he was interrupted by Donghyuck’s voice behind him — scaring him as always.

“I thought you left, I was so sad waking up alone.” The red-haired boy said.

Mark turned around slowly. Donghyuck was sitting on the couch, looking at the older boy with a playful smile and a confident gaze — which Mark would never get used to.

“I-I’m sorry, I was- Um, I was buying breakfast.” The dark-haired boy said, showing Donghyuck the paper bag he was holding. 

The younger boy got up from the couch and walked towards Mark. He stood there for a second, looking at other boy with a soft grin, before coming closer and ruffling his hair. He looked at Mark endearingly, and said: “You’re the sweetest, my prince.”

That nickname almost made Mark’s knees buckle. He already knew the more Donghyuck would call him that way, the harder he would fall for him. It was scary, but he was starting to realize that in the end, the boy he liked was here to catch him.

The red-haired boy started walking to the kitchen, and Mark followed him. However, he suddenly stopped and turned around, surprising the older boy and making him stumble against his chest. Mark looked at Donghyuck, confused.

“By the way, cutie, I heard you calling ‘Hyuck’ last night.” Mark opened his mouth to explain, but he was cut before he could say anything. “You should call me that more often, I love it.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! i apologize for how long this chapter took to come, but i'm finally back to writing! hope you liked this cute chapter...
> 
> aloïs


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